


New Rules, New Game

by Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener



Category: X-Men Evolution, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover Pairings, F/M, M/M, Multi, Mutants, Yami is a total troll
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-04-13
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-02-09 13:58:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1985499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener/pseuds/Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yugi Muto’s small body harbors not just a devastating power, but another person as well! The Brotherhood is sure to get to him before the X-men do, but there’s more going on than either side knows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I’m not Kazuki Takahashi or a member of Marvel Enterprises, so I don’t own anything Yugi-Oh or X-Men Evolution. :( But this story is mine! ^_^  
> 

Sweat trickled down his temple, making strands of blond hair stick to what were pale cheeks now flushed scarlet. It wasn’t a hot day, but the pain in his head was taxing his strength. It felt like his skull would crack open any moment. He had the vague thought that he understood what the Greek God Zeus went through with the birth of his daughter Athena.

The boy was young, only sixteen and a high school freshman at Domino High in Japan. He stopped a moment to lean against the cool brick of a building side. The additional shading was also a minor blessing as it kept the bright sun from stabbing into his wide, violet eyes.

“If it isn’t little Yugi.” Yugi groaned to himself. The last thing he really wanted to deal with right now were the bullies from school. “Hey, I’m talking to you, runt!”  
“Was there something you needed?” Yugi asked after a moment. He may as well get this over with; he was in no condition to run. The sooner he let them beat him up, the sooner he got home.  
“Yeah, we were missing our favorite punching bag.”

Yugi was kicked from behind without any warning. A shot of pain flared up his spine just before more spiked in his palms and knees from skidding across the concrete. He realized for a moment that the thin material of his school slacks was torn before he received a foot in his stomach. “Ah!” Yugi curled up tight on the cold and dirty ground, surrounded by the cruel laughter of his peers. The pounding in his head grew, stabbing knives behind his eyes.  
“What’s wrong, shrimp? Not enjoying our game?”

Yugi’s heart gave a solid beat at the word. “Game...?” The pain in his head began to melt away, leaving behind a cold warmth that steadied his nerves.

“I don’t think the widdle gamester wants to play anymore,” mocked another.  
“The geek’s all tuckered out,” someone laughed. “But we only just started!” A low chuckle interrupted anything else he was going to say. The bullies looked down at the small bundle that was unwinding itself to stand with a fluid grace Yugi’s never shown before.  
“Your game is dull, there’s no challenge to it.” The voice was deeper, more confident. “You’re boring.”

The leader scowled. “Say that again, half-pint! You’re only making it worse for yourself!”  
“I said you’re boring, you piece of trash.”  
“Now you’re really gonna get it!” The bigger teen snatched the front of Yugi’s uniform. A bolt of smothering frost shot through the boy’s senses, his instincts screamed ‘Danger!’ and made the hair all over his body stand on end, then crimson eyes cut right through his being. He released the smaller male in a hurry and backed away, to the confusion of his followers. “You’re not Yugi...”

A vicious smirk crossed Not-Yugi’s lips. “Let’s play a new game, my rules.” He held a hand above his head, the red irises flashed like a demon’s. “Shadow Realm!”

Darkness.


	2. Episode 01: The New Kids on the Block

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how long this took. Real Life has been pretty horrid, also I'm currently lacking in a Beta. XP Hopefully I caught all of the mistakes. *lol*

She was lean, willowy even. Leather bracers hugged delicate wrists almost as well as the form-fitting leather pants that caressed her long legs. Big boots adorned small feet, and a thick belt collar rested on a swan-like neck. To the disappointment of several guys, a leather jacket with plenty of zippers and buckles hid the rest of her form. It was because of that that they bothered looking higher up.

Her hair was crazy but somehow suited her sweet, cherubic face. Long strands were spiked in a halo around her head; the base ends a deep black that melted into a bright red at the tips. The spikes that filled the role of her bangs framed radiant violet eyes with their golden brilliance.

Kurt watched as Duncan, the handsome blond-haired and blue-eyed captain of the football team, tried to put the moves on the new girl. She looked uncomfortable at his insistent attention and held her books close to her chest.

“No need see breachers, juss homeroom,” Kurt heard her say with a thick Asian accent as he came within hearing range. Her voice sounded a little deep, but that could have been because of how soft she was speaking.  
“That’s bleachers, baby doll, and there’s plenty of time before that. Let me show you around.”  
“Hey, Duncan, Vilson’s looking for you,” Kurt shouted. The blond looked away from the petite girl.  
“Wilson? What’s he want now?” He winked at her as he straightened his letter jacket. “I’ll catch you later, babe.” She breathed a sigh of relief as he left.

Kurt walked over to the harassed girl. “You okay?”  
“Yes, sank you.”  
“Sorry about Duncan, he can be overbearing.” Kurt grinned and she smiled back.  
“I see sat. Do you know where find Mista Dawson?”  
“Yeah, he’s my homeroom teacher. I’ll show you there. By the vay, I’m Kurt Vagner.” He attempted a clumsy half-bow for both her benefit and the fact that he couldn’t afford to touch anyone. The normal black-haired, dark-eyed German boy everyone saw was a false image created by a portable hologram-inducer made to look like a wristwatch. In reality, Kurt was covered in fine blue fur. He couldn’t shake hands not only because of his fuzziness, but he only had three thick fingers.  
“Yugi Muto,” she said while bowing in a smooth motion from the hips.

“Class isn’t for another twenty minutes, vant to meet some of my friends? Kitty’s in the same homeroom.”  
“Yes. I rike to meeting osers,” Yugi said with another smile.

A short tour through the halls soon found them in the courtyard where students often ate lunch outside. Kurt escorted Yugi to a table where two girls and a boy were already seated. Yugi stepped closer to Kurt, feeling weary. All three looked like the popular preppy kids, and those were always the cruelest in their teasing. “Don’t vorry,” said Kurt. “These guys are real cool, trust me.”

“Who’s your friend, Kurt?” questioned the only male in the trio. He was a tall brunet with an athletic build and he wore ruby-lens glasses on his clean shaven face.  
“Yugi, this is Scott Summers.” He nodded towards Scott, and then looked to a redhead who was an attractive female of the same age. Her hair fell pass her shoulders and went well with the red lipstick she wore. “That’s Jean Grey, and that’s—”  
“Like, hey!” greeted a perky brunette, cutting off Kurt. It was easy to see that she had a bright and bouncy personality. Her high-ponytail danced with every movement and all her clothes were of the latest trends. “Kitty Pryde at your service! Where’d you like, get your hair done? It’s totally out there!”

Yugi took a moment to figure out what Kitty had meant before answering. “Hair is naturaru.”  
“Like no way!”

Well if that didn’t scream mutant then nothing did. But if she only had a physical mutation or had developed any special abilities was a different matter.

“Coming through!” bellowed a boy just before a skateboard landed on the table. Papers and books were sent flying over the edges as the occupants scrambled away in a hurry.  
“Hey! Watch it!” Scott shouted as he dived off the bench seat with Jean. Jean’s head snapped up to lock on Yugi. She felt something just below the surface rumble and spike, but it was just as quickly gone.  
“Evan, you dork!” Kitty yelled in suit, returning the moment to normal.

Evan Daniels was a young black American in his freshman year at Bayville High. His hair was bleached blond and done in the crew-cut style. He wore a big tee-shirt advertising his favorite band with the sleeves rolled up, and baggy cargo shorts with sneakers. At the moment he was laughing at the disgruntled expressions on his friends’ faces. “You should see yourselves!”  
“Evan that was a dangerous thing to do,” Jean reprimanded with a shaking finger. “You could have hurt someone.”  
“And you totally scared Yugi,” Kitty said with a scowl on her pretty face. “You need to like, apologize right now!”

“A-Am fine, rearry.” The small girl waved her hands as if to ward off the attention that was suddenly on her. Evan checked out the new addition to their group.  
“Cool threads, but aren’t you warm in that?” It was a fair question. It was a humid day and without a breeze it was on the stifling side.  
“Now I am oussides, yes.” Yugi unzipped the heavy leather and slipped it off, immediately folding the bulky coat into quarters. “Eh?” Yugi blinked at the wide eyes now staring at him.  
“Like, oh my god! You’re a boy?!” shouted Kitty.  
“Yes.” The jacket had made Yugi look tinier than he really was. Without it they could see his broadening shoulders, muscled arms, and defined chest that his black tank top and black mesh halter didn’t do much of anything to hide.

Kurt’s snickers broke the momentary silence. “Oh man! Duncan vas putting the moves on him!” Scott and Kitty began laughing as well, Scott’s fist banging on the table. Jean was hiding her giggles behind her slim hand.  
“That’s so priceless!” Evan howled. “Why couldn’t I have seen that?”

Yugi’s cheeks went pink. “You sought I am girru?”  
“Sorry,” Kurt managed to say after a moment. “It vas a misunderstanding!”

The bell rang, and Yugi never felt so relieved to hear it in his life. He knew this had to only be the prologue to the torments he would come to suffer in this new school. At least back home in Domino no one had ever mistaken him for a girl.  
The petite boy held his things in his arms. “Purease show way to crass.”  
“Sure thing,” Kurt agreed, still grinning.

Talks about the new student were all over the school by the time homeroom started, with conflicting reports about said student’s reproductive organs, which Yugi quickly began to put to rest when he was introduced to his homeroom. “I. Am. Boy.”

It was a very clear message.

Unfortunately, in Kurt’s opinion, they didn’t share any other classes until after lunch. So as soon as the lunch bell rang Kurt went off to find his new friend. Even more unfortunate was where he found him.  
Yugi was cheerfully sitting at the same table as Bayville High’s bullies, carrying on a conversation about something called Gun-dam.

“No way! Wing was totally the best series!” argued Lance Alvers, a tall boy with shaggy brown hair and dark eyes. Yugi shook his head in disagreement.  
“Rike originaru betta.”  
“Nuthin’s better than Zechs! He was da man!”  
“Char was originaru Sex.” Pietro Maximoff, a silver-hair pretty boy sitting next to Yugi, choked on his milk.  
“Whatdidyoujustsay?!” The teen’s eyes were bulging in horror and surprise at the petite male. Lance had his hand over his face. It was hard to tell if he was in pain or trying not to laugh.  
“It’s a hard ‘z’ sound, Yug,” Lance tried to correct.  
“Sat’s whas I said. Sex.”  
“Zechs! It’s Zechs!”

“Outta the way, dweeb.”  
“Hey!” Kurt found himself thrust aside by Freddy ‘the Blob’ Dukes, the literally largest bully in the school by several hundred pounds.  
“Ha ha! Loser!” Todd ‘Toad’ Tolansky hopped by on Freddy’s heels. He stuck out his slimy tongue and blew a raspberry at Kurt for good measure. They sat at the table, interrupting the conversation when Freddy slammed down his overloaded tray of cafeteria food. The two chairs Freddy grabbed to sit on strained under the young man’s weight, screeching in their metal and plastic agony.  
“You guys talkin’ ‘bout them cartoons again?” Freddy questions just before digging into his mountain of mashed potatoes.

“Hey, Kurt, what are doing way over here?” Scott approached his younger friend and followed the trail of the disguised mutant’s gaze. He scowled as his eyes landed on Lance, who he bore a grudge against. He quickly noticed what had Kurt’s concern. “How’d Yugi get mixed up with them already?”  
“They’re talking about cartoons, I think.”

Kurt couldn’t see it happen, not with those special-made sunglasses on Scott’s face for his ‘eye condition,’ but he saw how his brow furrowed just so between his eyes like he was focusing his gaze. “They’re being too familiar to have just met him today.”  
“Huh?” The disguised blue mutant shifted his attention back on the group.

Beneath the hologram Kurt’s pointed ears twitched. The noise level in the cafeteria was as high as ever but he was still able to make out what was being said. The group wasn’t talking about cartoons anymore.

“Could ask Yami-kun if he wans to, bus can’t rearry puromiss anyting.” Yugi’s voice was hesitant and the Japanese boy looked uncomfortable.  
“I know, man,” Lance said while pouring on the charm. “But you know how it is, yeah? We gotta do this.”

Yugi nodded and seemed to be drooping like a wilting flower. “But steering is steering.”

Kurt frowned. He was having trouble figuring out what Yugi was saying. The other boy wasn’t as versed in English as himself, which was beginning to be a problem. However, he couldn't make out much more than that when the volume in the room rose again.

The young German went to sit with his friends from the Xavier’s School for the Gifted, as usual. Jean, Kitty, and Evan were already there. He was worried about Yugi, but he knew they had last period together. He would try to talk to him then. Yugi seemed much too sweet to stay in the company of the likes of Lance and his friends.

“Hey, Kurt, weren’t you bringing Yugi over?” Kitty asked after he took his seat.  
“He’s sitting somevhere else today.”

Scott’s tray hit the table harder than was necessary. “He’s with the Brotherhood.” His less than happy tone was eclipsed by the gasps of the others.  
“Who’s with the Brotherhood?” questioned a Southern drawl. It was Anna-Marie D’Ancato, who threatened a painful death if you called her any form of that instead of Rogue. She was the final member of their group from the Xavier School. Her skin was ghostly pale and she had short auburn hair that hung to her chin. Her white bangs were too long and they were constantly in her face, not that she planned on changing it. She was wearing her favorite dark purple lipstick and eyeshadow. She also wore her usual Goth outfit that consisted of a black halter top, a sheer green blouse, a black leather skirt with black leggings, and big buckle boots in the same color scheme. On her neck was a large silver-studded black leather choker that matched her black leather gloves, which were studded along the wrists.

“Like, your fellow goth-punk-type person over there, the one I told you about,” Kitty answered, pointing at Yugi from over her shoulder. The two girls were roommates and often gossiped whenever they were together, usually gym class and lunch on school days.  
“Dayum, he is short in that adorable plushie way.” Rogue took a seat between Kitty and Kurt, while Evan laughed at her description.

Scott gave Kitty a look even through his glasses. “You described him as an adorable plushie?”  
“Well, he is,” the perky girl defended. “He’s, like, all fluffy.” She glared over her shoulder towards the Brotherhood table. “And he totally doesn’t belong over there.”  
“Ah’ll talk with him,” Rogue offered as she tore off a piece of bread roll to dip in the gravy of her mashed potatoes. “He can’t know what he’s gotten himself into.” 

“I’m not so sure about that,” Jean objected in a low voice. Everyone focused on her as she continued. “This morning when Evan pulled that stunt of his, I felt something from him.”  
“Whatcha mean?” Evan pressed.  
“It’s hard to describe,” the redhead replied. “It was gone almost as soon as I had noticed it, a sort of…” Her voice trailed off as she tried to find the words. “It was dark.”

“That’s, like, totally creepy,” Kitty complained.  
“What do you mean dark?” Scott inquired. “Like a dark room, or dark like a void?”  
“No, not like either of those. The best I can say is at that moment, for that split second, it was like a shadow was obscuring my senses. Like a thundercloud had suddenly eclipsed the sun.”  
“That’s so weird,” Evan quipped before he stuffed the last of his burger into his mouth.

Kurt frowned and leaned back in his seat. “It has to be like vith Rogue,” he interjected after a moment. “He must not know the truth.”  
“I hope you’re right, Kurt,” Scott said with a grim voice.

To Kurt’s dismay, he found out soon enough that while Yugi shared Algebra I with Kitty and Chemistry with Jean in the morning, that he also had classes with Lance, Todd, and Pietro. Granted, the blue mutant didn’t think Lance actually went to Literature, but Pietro and Todd definitely went to gym more often than not.

Who knew what those guys would tell Yugi, or what influence they could have on the Japanese teenager, when there was no one around to provide a buffer.

The final class of the day was World Cultures with Mister Forrest. He was a nice man, but he wasn't the best teacher if you actually wanted to learn anything. His idea of teaching was usually telling everyone to pick a subject to self-study, then turn in a report about it at the end of the week. Mister Forrest's teaching style did give Kurt his needed chance to talk to Yugi, though.

Kurt grinned as he caught Yugi’s attention then joined the smaller boy at his desk, pulling up a spare chair to sit across from him. “How has your day been?”  
“It's ben werru. Yours?”  
“Same.”

Kurt was getting nervous now that he was going to confront Yugi about his sitting with the bullies of the school. But surely Yugi had no idea about their reputation. It was pretty obvious that his grasp of English was still shaky. If anyone had tried to tell him earlier, he may not have understood. Even if others had tried to talk to Yugi about it, there was no way anyone could have given the new student the whole story.

Lance, Todd, Pietro, and Freddy were all part of the mutant group known as the Brotherhood. They were led by Magneto, a powerful mutant who could control metal through the forces of magnetism. The man hated normal humans, and his goal was to have his chosen mutants rule the world. The man was ruthless in his goals, and he had no qualms killing anyone who got in his way or who he saw as unworthy of continued living. Kurt was certain if he told Yugi about the real Brotherhood then the Japanese teen would hightail it from the group.

“I vas vondering vhen you had met Alvers.”  
“Rance? We stay in same purace.”

Kurt’s thoughts came to a crashing halt. Yugi was staying at the Brotherhood house? There was only way that Yugi would be staying there. He had to have active powers, and the Brotherhood must have recruited him for his usefulness towards their cause.

“R-Really?” he said after a moment in an attempt to cover up his surprise and instant concern. “I hadn’t heard anyone new moved there.”  
“Um, two of us?” Yugi said as a question instead of an answer, as if he was unsure of something.

Two of them? The Brotherhood had another mutant recruit? Were they in this school, too?

“Vho is the other? Do they come here?” His mind was starting to race now, and his tail twitched under the hologram. Was Yugi what he seemed? Was he really just a nice guy who doesn't know he’s in the wrong crowd? Could he be trying to trick Kurt and his fellows?

Was Yugi the enemy?

“A furiend, and uh, not rearry?” Again, Yugi didn’t seem to be sure of his own words, but the reason for that wasn’t clear. If Yugi was only pretending in order to get into their good graces, wouldn’t he be more concrete in what he was telling them? Wouldn’t he had lied about where he lives? Why would he say there were two of them if the Brotherhood had wanted to hide that?

Yugi looked uncomfortable with their conversation. Kurt couldn’t tell if it was because Yugi was hiding something, or if he was just confused. The disguised mutant grinned and changed the subject. “Vhat games do you like to play?” Yugi’s answering smile beamed at him, making him lose his breath for a moment. Could someone lying to them really have such a sincere smile?

“Dueru Monsuters!”  
“What’s Due-Dueru Monsuters?”

The rest of the class was spent with Yugi teaching Kurt all about the card game, Duel Monsters he found was the proper pronunciation in English, with great enthusiasm. Several other classmates joined in, some who already played and a few who were totally new to it like Kurt was. It ended up being a surprisingly fun and educational period.

Nonetheless, Kurt was no closer to figuring Yugi out nor had he been able to glean anymore information off of him. What could the Brotherhood be up to? 

The bell rang and everyone began to file out of the room, either heading home or to club rooms. The German boy cut Yugi off before the smaller teen could leave as well. “H-hey, vhat are you doing next?”  
“I am meeting wiss Rance, Sodd, Fureddy, and Pieturo to go home.”  
“Can you hang out for a vhile first? You can see vhere I live at the Xavier’s Institute.”  
“Savier’s?”

Kurt nodded with a big grin plastered on. He was ignoring the little voice in the back of his head that was warning him that the others wouldn’t appreciate the surprise visit, but he had to at least try and get Yugi away from the Brotherhood, even if only to confirm whose side he was on. “Yeah, me and my friends live at a bordering school called Xavier’s School for the Gifted, or the Xavier Institute as a lot of people call it.”  
“Gifuted? How nice for you!” Yugi’s smile was bright like sunlight. He was genuinely pleased at Kurt’s fortune. “Bus cannot go suday, made puromiss. Sumorrow?”  
“Uh, yeah, tomorrow!” At least now Kurt could warn the others. “Tomorrow vould be great.”

Yugi smiled more, but a flash of worry crossed his wide eyes. “Wagnaru-kun, do you know Risaachu and Deberupment Senta?” Yugi flinched suddenly. “S-Sorry, muss go. See you sumorrow!” Yugi ran out of the room before Kurt could stop him.

“Vhat vas he trying to ask…?”

~*~

The ride home in the corvette was as noisy as always. It was bound to happen with too many teenagers crammed into a small space. Scott yelled at Kitty and Evan to stop bickering, and Rogue pretended she wasn’t present at all. Jean looked like she was fighting a headache.

Kurt sighed and kept running over his conversation with Yugi. He just couldn’t figure out what the smaller boy had been trying to say.

“Like, what has you so depressed?” Kitty asked over the sound of the wind.  
“I think Yugi’s in trouble.” That got everyone’s attention, and he explained what had happened in World Cultures. By the time he had finished, Scott had pulled the car up to the Xavier’s Institute and parked in the garage.

“This sounds serious,” Scott acknowledged in a somber tone.

“Who could the other mutant be?” Kitty wondered. “If there was another new kid, like the whole school would’ve known.”  
“Maybe he’s supposed to be attending but isn’t. You know, skipping,” Rouge suggested. “And he doesn’t plan on coming ever. Not that blame him, school can be pretty lame.”

The teenagers climbed out of the car and headed inside of the enormous Xavier Institute where they were greeted by Charles Xavier himself in the manor’s grandiose foray. The bald, middle-aged man was sitting in his wheelchair at the base of the long stairway to the second floor. “Jean tells me there is much for us to speak about.”

Jean walked ahead of the group. “Were you able to find anything, Professor?”  
“I did. It seems young Muto is the mutant signature Cerebro had picked up weeks ago, but had been unable to get a lock on. He’s from Domino, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan where he lived with his parents and paternal grandfather. No record to his person. Unfortunately, I have yet to discover how he came to be in the Brotherhood, or what his specific power could be.”

“If the Brotherhood grabbed him, you can bet it’s dangerous,” Scott remarked. “Kurt says there’s a second mutant. Anything about that?”  
“A second one?” Xavier shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not. Whoever it is, they haven’t used their powers yet.”

Kurt jumped ahead of the others. “Professor, I don’t think Yugi’s knows vhat he’s gotten mixed up in! I vant to talk to him before ve do anything!”  
“Calm down, Kurt,” Xavier said with a small smile to soothe the boy, “we won’t do anything unnecessary.”  
“I’d like ta talk to him, too, Professor,” Rogue chimed in, coming to stand next to blue and fuzzy. “He really don’t seem the kind to purposely git mixed in with the Brotherhood.” Xavier nodded at her words then spoke to all of them.  
“As I have not had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Muto, if all of you would allow me your point-of-views?”

Over the next few minutes he used his telepathy to see into the memories of his students. By all appearances, Yugi was an open and friendly sixteen-year-old. His words and actions were honest and without ulterior motives. Then he felt the shadow that Jean had first experienced that morning and he began to understand her concern. “How very strange,” he commented to himself more than to the others as he pulled his consciousness back into his mind. “Either Mr. Muto should consider a career in politics, are there is something more going on.”

“Hey, Professor, Kurt, could I like hear how Yugi said the gibberish thing?” Kitty stared directly at Kurt since it was his memory on the table. The German nodded.  
“Sure, go ahead. Share it vith everyone, Professor.”

Once the slice of memory had been trickled to the brunette and the rest, Kitty began to pace as she rolled the words around her head. “Hmm…”

Evan crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he thought. “You know, that last word sort of sounds like Center, like in the Youth Center.”  
“I agree,” Jean said as she attempted to figure out the rest.  
“Doesn’t the R like, replace the L for Japanese?” Kitty asked no one in particular. “But Leeshaacchu makes no sense either. Darn it, I should’ve paid more attention to those guys in the anime club.”

Rogue tried testing the theory with the first word but she couldn’t say anything that made sense to them. “Damn it,” she cursed under her breath. “This is gitting us nowhere.”  
“I should sit this one out,” Kurt said after a moment. While he was fluent in English, this kind of exercise was hard on him since it wasn’t his native tongue.

“Where’s Professor Logan when we need him?” Scott complained. “He actually knows Japanese.”  
“He’s currently on a mission,” Xavier explained. “I don’t wish to distract him if it can be helped.”

“Deberupment…” Kitty mumbled several times to get a feel for it. “Debelupment.” Her pink lips pursed at the almost familiar syllables. “Debelupment…?” Her brow wrinkled. “Wait a sec. De-be-lup-ment… Starts with De and ends in Ment…” Her blue eyes widened in sudden realization. “Development! It’s research and development center! He must have meant the Bayville Research and Development Center!”

“What could they possibly want from there?” Jean asked in bewilderment.  
“Whatever their goal, do your best to stop them,” ordered Xavier. “It may already be too late, but find out what you can.”

The group dispersed to change from their normal clothes into their various X-Men uniforms for what would definitely be a battle ahead of them. Xavier, however, stopped Rogue from going. “Remain here, Rogue. We don’t know who this second mutant could be, or what his and Mr. Muto’s powers are. This secrecy could be part of a more nefarious plan.”

The goth hated being left out of the battle, but nodded. It wouldn’t be the first time the Brotherhood had wanted to manipulate her for her absorption powers. “Yes, Professor.”

The X-Men arrived at the Bayville Research and Development Center and swiftly made their way onto the property. The BRDC wasn’t cut off from the public like a lot of other similar centers were because it also housed a learning center, so it had no fence to bar their way, but it was a stretch from the parking lot to the front door down a long path that ran up a hill.

Lance was the first Brotherhood mutant they spotted as they crested the ridge. The moonlight glinted off his silver battle armor and dome, glass-like helmet. Just behind him was Todd crouched on all fours, the curved hunchback of his grey armor made him look even more like his codename Toad.

It was worrying that they couldn’t see where Freddy, Pietro, or Yugi were. Then they heard the distinct click and clack of the building’s gates sliding open. In a whirlwind, Pietro, codename Quicksilver, appeared next to Lance. The moonshine made his blue spandex and white armor practically glow. “All’sready,let’sgo!Hey!” Pietro pointed a finger at the approaching group. “We’vegotcompany!”

“Yup.” Lance cracked his knuckles. “We sure do. You guys get to it, we’ll handle this just as planned.”  
“Savesomeforme!” With that, Quicksilver was off in a flash.  
“Hey, wait up, yo!” Toad leapt after him in a hurry.

“Not so fast!” Jean threw out a hand and “caught” Todd in midair with her telekinesis.  
“Hey! Not fair! Lemme go!” He flailed his limbs to no avail.

Lance stretched his arms out in front of him and widened his stance, which Scott responded to in kind by placing a hand on the side of his visor. Kitty rested a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “You look for Yugi. Spyke and I will see what they’re up to inside.” Evan winked to Kurt as he and Kitty rushed to the building just as they had decided earlier, but no sooner than the pair had broken off from the main group Jean yelped in surprise and dropped Todd. The toad-like mutant scrambled to the building in a few short hops.

“Jean!” Scott didn’t dare turn his gaze from Lance. He knew as soon as he did, then the other teenager would activate his geokinesis. The last thing they needed was an earthquake or flying rocks. His codename was Avalanche for a good reason.  
“I-I’m fine,” she claimed as she gave her head a quick shake to clear it. “I was taken by surprise.”  
“By what?”  
“There was some kind of shadow that wrapped around my mind. I think it was Yugi.”

Kurt’s ears perked and he scanned the area for the petite mutant, but his yellow gaze couldn’t find the Japanese teen. A cloud picked that moment to cover the moon.

“Hey!” bellowed Evan, followed by a startled cry from Kitty. Evan came scuttling back with strange black spheres bursting at his heels. Kitty must have gotten past them with her ability to phase through matter. “Dammit!” A bony spike grew out of his arm, and he slashed at the globes chasing him. “Go away!”

His bone spear hit. The orb exploded and shattered the barb. “Shit!” He released the broken bone and grew three new ones in its place. “This is getting way beyond annoying!” He swiped out with his improvised claw to keep the rest of the balls from touching him directly.

A low laugh grabbed everybody’s attention. From the shadows stepped out a lean figure. At first glance the person looked like Yugi, but this guy held himself taller. And while their spiky hair was similar, he had bolts of blond that streaked through the black. But the biggest difference was in the eyes; they were red like rubies, and where Yugi’s violet eyes were kind, this man’s eyes were piercing.

“Shit, man,” cursed Lance, “were you there the entire time? I was wondering where the hell you were!”  
“Pardon me, Avalanche,” the other male answered in flawless English. He strutted up to Lance like he owned the world. “Save your energy, I have things here.” He was juggling several of the globes as he walked. The bigger male stepped back.  
“Careful with those things. Don’t they blow up?”  
“When I want them to. Return.” The black orbs that had been harassing Evan went flying to the stranger to join the ones he was already juggling.

The moon came back out and they had their first good look at the Yugi look-alike. His armor was white and blue with a navy cape. He also wore golden leg guards, armbands and gauntlets, neck and chest guards, and one shoulder guard that curved like a wing. A golden forehead protector that looked like a giant eye completed the ensemble. “You lot must be the X-Men. Allow me to introduce myself, you may call me Pharaoh.”

Crimson eyes landed on Jean. “I should warn you that I’m also a telepath, Miss Grey. You’re a strong one, but I’ve dealt with stronger before. You don’t have the experience to fight me.”  
“What the hell’s with the trash talk,” snarled Evan. “Show the loser what you can do, Jean!”  
“I-I’m trying…!” The red head stumbled as if something was physically pressing down on her from above.

Pharaoh switched to juggling with one hand so he could rest his other one on a cocked hip. “Are you having trouble standing?” Some of the balls began to merge together without him ever changing his motions. “I see. Your specialty is your telekinesis.”  
“Get out of my head!” she screamed.

At that moment a beam of red light and several bone spikes shot out at Pharaoh, but with nary a blink two of the shadowy globs took flight. Both expanded like gaping maws and swallowed the attacks before disappearing in a blink.

“No effin’ way,” Spyke gasped.  
“What was that?” was Scott’s stunned response.  
“It’s called talent, Cyclops,” Pharaoh purred. “Or do you prefer Mr. Summers?” He received a glower in answer, but it only made him laugh.

Kurt couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed either. This Pharaoh guy didn’t look any older than them, but he seemed to be a lot more experienced and accustomed to battle. Where did this guy come from? Who was he?

“However, this isn’t sporting at all,” Pharaoh complained. Every dark globe consolidated into a single, large ball before disappearing in a whirl. “Let’s even this out. I won’t use my shadows until I get bored.” He motioned with both hands. “Come at me.”

The blue mutant’s jaw dropped. He looked to Avalanche, silently asking, “Is this guy for real?” The geokinetic mutant shrugged.  
“I was told to let him do what he wanted.”

“You’re asking for it!” Evan charged in with more bone spikes at the ready.  
“Spyke, no!” Cyclops called out urgently. “He has to be up to something!”  
“Haah!” Evan lashed out with his improvised bone claws, only to have them grabbed by Pharaoh. Suddenly, the bleached blond found himself flying through the air. “Hey!” Instinctively he grew more spikes just before he slammed into a tree…and stuck to it upside-down.

Kurt knew that in martial arts smaller fighters could take on bigger ones, but he didn’t think it would enable such a skinny person to throw someone as solid as Evan overhead. “Vhoa.”  
“Surely you X-Men have more than that to give,” Pharaoh jested over Lance’s laughter. “Oh, should I let the lady go?”  
“Ah!” Jean cried out and stumbled into Scott when she was released from the invisible hold.

The fuzzy mutant knew he had to at least try something. He bamfed directly above Pharaoh to jump him by surprise, and was tugged down fast enough to make his head spin. “Oof!”  
“Good try.” Crimson eyes stared hard at Kurt. “You’re the one Yugi likes, the Nightcrawler. Kurt Vagner, wasn’t it?”  
“Um, yes. Ve are friends.” This Pharaoh person was making him nervous. The grip in his suit was like steel. “I just vant to talk. You don’t have to do this.”  
“I know very well what I can and cannot do or have to do, blue one.” He brought up his other hand to caress Kurt’s soft furred cheek. “I admit, I do see the appeal.”  
“Uh, vhat?” Something about this was wrong. Very, very wrong.

“I shall steal a kiss.” With that, Pharaoh leaned in and stole Kurt’s lips.

The clearing fell quiet in shock. Even Evan, who was still upside-down on the tree, had stopped complaining and was staring wide-eyed at the display in front of him. Everyone present had gone slack-jawed.

Kurt’s brain was frozen and running in overdrive simultaneously. It never occurred to him that someone would try to kiss him against his will. It felt good and bad. He felt hot; he was burning from shame, embarrassment, and arousal. His fur was standing on end and he could intimately feel the breeze running through each strand.

Pharaoh’s lips were smooth and soft and gently moving against his own. He tasted of something unfamiliar and almost sweet but also bitter.

Then the moment was over and Kurt sank to the grass. His yellow eyes were wide and tears had formed in the corners.

That had been his first kiss.

Pharaoh gracefully dodged the red laser fire that Scott shot at him. The expression on the young leader’s face was beyond mad, he was enraged. Blast after blast gorged into the earth and damaged trees, but not a single one came near the offending mutant.

“Hey, watch it!” screamed Evan when a red beam came too close to him.

Pharaoh laughed. “Just retract your spines, you’ll drop.”  
“Oh. Yeah.” He released his spikes and fell. Jean caught him with her telekinesis before he could hit his head. “Thanks, Jean!”

“Shit!” Lance evaded a few of the optic lasers as well. “Calm down, dumbass!”

Jean brought Spyke and Nightcrawler into what she hoped was the safe zone. Cyclops was concentrating on Pharaoh, who looked like he was having fun prancing around like a ballet dancer. He gave the impression like he had some serious training in the area. “Kurt, are you okay?” questioned the concerned redhead.  
“Yeah, man, you alright? I can’t believe that sick jerk kissed you like that!” added Evan.

Kurt nodded numbly. He was still having trouble wrapping his head around what he had experienced.

Quicksilver ran up to Avalanche. He was holding a small burlap sack in his hands. “Igotit!Let’sgo!”

“Ack! Help! Someone help me, yo! She’s gone nuts! Mad cow disease!” Todd came hopping over the hill, on the run from a drenched Kitty Pryde holding a crowbar of all things.

“Fall back, we’re done here,” shouted Avalanche.  
“You’re not going anywhere,” the infuriated X-man leader bellowed with another round of optic blasts at Pharaoh. The dark-skinned youth smoothly tumbled away like a Chinese acrobat.  
“Au contraire,” he responded with a perfect French accent. He threw out a hand, and suddenly the entire area was cast in darkness. “Au revoir.”

The Brotherhood mutants quickly made their getaway while the X-Men were disoriented by the inky fog. Scott’s lasers didn’t even light it up. Jean tried to use her telepathy to calm her friends, but it was like trying to yell through a concrete wall.

Then just as it had fallen on them, the shadow disappeared without warning.

“What the hell was that?” Kitty demanded, still brandishing the crowbar.  
“That would have been Pharaoh,” answered Jean, who was rubbing her temples with both hands. “He’s one of their new members, and he’s powerful.”  
“The bastard just handed us our asses,” Evan added with an angry snarl.

“Like, great.” She finally dropped the oversized tool and started to wring out her wet hair. “And I couldn’t stop Quicksilver or Toad from getting whatever they got. They like, knew exactly where it was!”  
“We better report back to the Professor immediately,” Scott said after a moment of silence. His eyes were burning behind his visor from the strain of overuse, too much in too short a time.

The brunet made his way over to Kurt and held a hand down to him. “You okay after that?”  
“Y-yeah.” He took Scott’s offered hand and regained his feet.  
“Wait, like what happened?” Kitty inquired, instantly worried. “Is Kurt injured?”

“You won’t believe it, Kitty,” Evan filled in. “That Pharaoh bastard just grabbed him and kissed him!”  
“What?!”

~*~

At the Brotherhood Manor, an entirely different conversation was to take place. Todd and Freddy, who had been relaxing and eating chips all night, had found excuses to make themselves scarce. Pietro had randomly tossed the sack to Yugi, so he could take his version of a long shower. Lance was keeping to himself in the corner of the room, which was the cleanest it had ever been since they began living there. The place still looked rundown, but it was no longer a dump due to the efforts of their helpful, conscientious newcomer. Yugi handed over the bag to the true leader of the group. 

Magneto, in his Imperial red and Byzantium purple armor, pulled out and examined the gold box that the teenagers were able to claim from the research facility. It was decorated in the ancient Egyptian tradition, and had hieroglyphics inscribed all over it.

“What’s in it?” the still damp silver-haired youth asked, gazing up at the white-haired man. If anyone ever noticed that they looked alike, they would be on the mark. Pietro was the infamous Magneto’s son, and surviving eldest child.

“It’s not for you to know right now.” The box was placed back in the simple bag they had used for the robbery. “Good job for not failing me.” The boy beamed up at the praise. “I added a little something extra to your house account, use it wisely.”

The man turned his attention to Yugi. “Is Pharaoh awake?” he questioned in accented Japanese. Yugi shook his head.  
“He wens to sureep soon afser we gos here, was borudo.”

Magneto chuckled without any real humor behind the sound. “Tell him he did an excellent job of distracting those brats.”  
“Yes, sirru.”

Soon after, Magneto left the group of young mutants. Yugi didn’t really like the man, he made his skin crawl, but the one who shared his skin assured him that he would never let anything happen between them. Yami, the one that the Brotherhood acknowledged as Pharaoh, had indeed been awake. He had used the meetings as a chance to further study the one called Magneto. The mutant’s way of interacting with his son was telling of many of the man’s traits, but he knew it would only be scratching the surface.

Yugi said his goodnights and went to his room to change into a pair of pajamas. Now that business had been taken care of, he had a few things to say to his counterpart. He lay down on the bed and dove into his mind until he reached what Yami called their Soul Room.

The Soul Room looked much like Yugi’s room back in Japan with a bed, bedside table, dresser, and study desk. Here though, everything was covered in toys and games. The view outside of the window changed depending on Yugi’s mood and strongest thoughts. Right now, it looked like the clearing outside of the Bayville Research and Development Center.

Also in the Room, Yami’s appearance was different from that of the outside world. Yugi’s body displayed some changes when Yami was in control, but not to the extent either would have preferred. Here, he was visibly older with his skin a dark bronze against his white tunic and he was over a foot taller. Their hair remained similar in style and color, but Yami’s were in darker shades. It was really only the eyes that properly reflected his true form outside of the Room.

Yami, who had taken a seat on Yugi’s bed, knew what was coming. “My Queen, you look displeased.”  
“Don’t you ‘my Queen’ me.” The small male marched up to him on bare feet, although the glare that was directed at him looked more like a pout. “That was an awful thing you did!”  
“It was but a kiss,” the man defended with a wave of his hand. “And no one was really injured, just as I had promised.”

“You are not to brush this off,” Yugi demanded. “Vagner-kun was very nice to me, and you went and sexually assaulted him!”

Yami cupped Yugi’s face with both of his dark hands. “I apologize for upsetting you, my Queen. I will not touch him again without your permission.” The teen’s face went bright red and was almost a match for the scarlet in his hair.  
“G-good, and you better apologize to him next time you meet.”  
“I promise.” He nuzzled the burning cheeks.

Yugi accepted his words and sighed, then he sat on the man’s lap. Yami’s arms wrapped around him in a hug, and his chin rested on the teen’s head. “How long do we have to stay here? I don’t really mind Lance, Todd, Freddy, or Pietro but what that Magneto guy makes them do and how he treats them pisses me off. It’s wrong.”  
“Only for a while, aibou. This I also promise you.”

“But how long?” Yugi whined. He shifted so he could look him in the eye. Yami smiled and rubbed their noses together.  
“The box we got today, there are two more like it.”  
“Once we have them we can leave? What do they do? What’s inside of them?”

Crimson eyes sparkled with affection and his lips took on a teasing smile. “You’ll just have to wait to find out.”  
“Bully.” Now the fair-skinned one really was pouting. Yami couldn’t help but kiss those pink lips.  
“Am I? I feel I should earn that designation.” The man rolled them to the middle of the bed with his companion beneath him.

Yugi squeaked. “I have school in the morning,” he protested even as skilled hands slipped under his black tank top to rub over his abs and to pinch his nipples. “Ahn!”  
“Then I will only bully you a little.” He pushed down the tiny shorts and wrapped his hand around the hardening cock he found. “I can’t leave you like this, can I?”

“You really are a bully!”

**Author's Note:**

> [Want to stay updated on my art and stories?](http://dawneastpoint.deviantart.com/journal/Check-Here-for-my-Updates-638603365)  
>  It'll be two steps because I'm not allowed to mention my personal blog on here.


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